Tough Foe Blocking Hokies' Title Path

Beamer: Pittsburgh `Can Beat The Best'

Past and present meet with the Big East Conference championship at stake.

Virginia Tech, which has won or shared the last two conference titles, aims for a third today at Pittsburgh, which is trying to reclaim a place among college football's elite programs.

``Pittsburgh had Syracuse and should have beaten them,'' Tech coach Frank Beamer said. ``Miami they did beat. They've already shown they can beat the best in our conference. We better be ready to play our best football game.''

If the 19th-ranked Hokies (7-2, 5-1) win today's 3:30 p.m. game at Pittsburgh Stadium, they'll clinch no worse than a tie for the championship. They'll win it outright if Miami upsets Syracuse next Saturday in the Orange Bowl.

Meanwhile, the Panthers (4-5, 2-3) still have outside hopes of qualifying for a bowl berth if they win their last two games, against the Hokies and West Virginia next week.

But Pittsburgh's resiliency will be tested after consecutive losses to Boston College and Syracuse.

The Eagles kicked a late field goal for a 22-21 victory two weeks ago, and Syracuse scored in the final minute for a 32-27 victory - a game in which the Panthers overcame a 19-0 fourth-quarter deficit to take a 27-26 lead, only to watch the Orangemen's Donovan McNabb and Quinton Spotwood hook up on a late touchdown pass.

``I don't think there's any question they were heartbreaking losses,'' Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris said. ``I think they will have an effect, but the seniors do a good job of getting the team ready.''

Harris, who replaced Johnny Majors, is in his first year as head coach after two years as the quarterbacks coach at Ohio State and two years before that as an assistant with the New York Jets.

Harris was given the task of rebuilding a program that won a national championship in 1976 but hasn't had a winning record since 1991 and hasn't been to a bowl since 1989.

``Not many places have won national championships,'' Harris said, praising the football-rich Pennsylvania talent base. ``They had outstanding players. If they had them once, they can have them again.''

If initial expectations are modest for Pittsburgh under Harris, they weren't much higher for the Hokies this season. Tech was picked third or fourth in the Big East in most preseason polls, based on the players lost from consecutive championship teams and returning players at the league's other top programs.

``We probably deserved to be picked fourth,'' Beamer said. ``Overall, you have to credit our players and coaches.''

Tech rover Pierson Prioleau said, ``It would be nice if they pick us to finish fourth every year and we finish first.''